How To Get Started On A Healthy Lifestyle

How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you'll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don't feel like exercising?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn't mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness -- and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.
In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.

The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn't have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.

I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.

Here's a sample exercise program that may work for you:

* Warm Up -- seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.

* Resistance Training -- Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.

* Aerobic Exercise -- Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.

* Stretching -- Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.

* From one to eight weeks -- Feel better and have more energy.

* From two to six months -- Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.

* After six months -- Start losing weight quite rapidly.

Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don't stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,' says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:

* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day
* Make sure every meal is balanced -- incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and fruits
* Limit your fat intake to only what's necessary for adequate flavor
* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day
* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com-By: Gregg Hall

How To Reduce Over Sweating| Stop Excessive Perspiration

It is a known fact that overweight and obese people are more prone to excessive sweating as they perspire more. However, excessive perspiration can be also due to several underlying medical conditions such as menopause, psychiatric illnesses and very active thyroid glands. Excessive sweating is also known to occur to people with no known medical condition and thus the cause of heavy sweating for this group of people is unknown.

It is very distressing to suffer from over sweating and many people with this condition also suffer from low self esteem. This is because excessive sweating may cause them to have undesirable body odor, looking unkempt and dirty.

It is easier for those who are overweight to reduce excessive perspiration since it is just a matter of reducing their body fat weight. Losing weight is easy with the right combination of exercises and healthy eating habits. Many people who find it hard to lose weight and disagree with me that losing weight is easy is because they are doing it wrongly.

If excessive sweating is localized on parts of the body such as armpits, palms or the soles of feet, then treatments may be necessary to reduce over perspiration. Sometimes anti-perspirants applied to the affected body part may just stop excessive sweating albeit temporarily.

Simple and non surgical medical treatments that are known to reduce or even sometimes stop excessive sweating successfully are Iontophoresis where a low electrical current is introduced to the affected parts of the body or getting Botulinum toxin injections commonly known as Botox injections.

If you are suffering from excessive sweating and over perspiration, and since this condition is most prevalent among people who are overweight, go get a medical check up to see if you are obese. If you are, then embark on a healthy diet and exercise program and your excessive sweating condition may be solved permanently.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com-By: Chris Chew

Not Enough Time to Exercise

Lack of time is the most common excuse for avoiding exercise. As a personal fitness trainer, I hear it all the time, “I’d love to workout but I don’t have time.” My goal is to help you find the time or more importantly, make the time to exercise. There are too many benefits for your health and well being to make excuses not to exercise. The older you are, the more important exercise is to your overall well-being and health. Strength training has been proven to reduce the risk of falls, increases bone density, reduces the symptoms for arthritis, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity and back pain. Studies have show exercise to have a profound effect on a person’s mental and emotional health. With all the benefits of exercise and if your health is a priority, you could find the time to exercise.

If you have time to watch television, you have time to exercise. These two activities can easily be combined. A television placed in front of your exercise bike or treadmill will help accomplish your cardio needs and make the time go by faster.

Be creative; break your workout program into two shorter sessions rather than one long session to fit more easily into your day. Many studies show that cardiovascular training for fat burning is best in the morning. Stop snoozing to your alarm clock and hit the cardio for 20 minutes in the morning. It’s a great way to start your day. Save your strength training for the evening or after work. An effective strength training workout doesn’t take more than 40 to 50 minutes.

If you’re a parent, it’s your responsibility to be a role model for your children. A healthy lifestyle and balance in life educates your children about values and priorities. Build fitness into your family’s playtime. Activities, instead of allowing children to park themselves in front of the TV or computer all weekend, will serve your family’s need for exercise.

Remember to keep it fun. Attitude is everything! For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.EasyExerciseTips.com - By: Linda Geyer

Things To Consider Before Joining A Gym Or Fitness Center

If you are making efforts to get into better shape or to lose weight, one question you might have is about whether or not you should join a gym or other type of fitness center. This is a question that only you can answer, but here are a few thoughts to ponder before you sign up at fitness center or gym.
* Is a contract required? If so, you will want to be sure that you understand the terms of your contract and what the payment schedule is. Some gyms may offer discounts for long term memberships, so know what you're signing! If you sign up for a 36 month contract, you'll be held to it, even if you stop going. Don't be afraid to ask the salesperson to bring it home and read it in its entirety before signing on the dotted line.
* Are the hours and location of the gym conveinent for you? If the gym or fitness center has limited hours, or isn't close enough to your home, you might struggle to make it there. To maximize your membership at any gym, you have to go! Make sure that it is open hours when you are planning on working out, and doesn't take an hour to get to. Otherwise your enthusiasm might fade quick.
* Do they have the equipment that you are looking for? You will want to be sure that your gym has the fitness equipment you need for maximum health benefits. Do they have enough cardio machines such as elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles, treadmills, stair machines etc. that you won't have to wait to use them? There is nothing more demotivating than arriving at the gym to find you have to wait an hour to use your desired machine. If you are looking to do weight training, you'll want to be sure they offer free weights, or strength training equipment.
* Do they offer fitness classes? You might feel more comfortable or motivated working out in a group environment. If you are this type of person, look for a gym that offers fitness classes such as step aerobics, pilates, yoga or spinning. Before signing up, you'll want to confirm whether or not there are additional fees to attend, so you aren't surprised with additional fees later.
* Do they offer personal trainers? If you are interested in a personal trainer, you'll want to be sure that your gym offers this service. Personal Trainers are not typically included in base memberships at most gyms, however it is worth asking if there are any introductory specials that offer a personal trainer for your first visit/ workout.
* Do they have other features that you or your family might enjoy? Some features might be a bonus! Do they have an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna or tennis courts that you have access to? Although this might not be a major selling point, having different things to do at the gym could help tackle weight loss plateaus or boredom in your workout routine.
* Is the gym clean? There is nothing more disgusting than a gym that is filled with dirt and grime. Do they offer sanitizers to clean machines before and after using them? No one wants to sit in someone elses puddle of sweat. Look for signs like dirty floors and unkept bathrooms or locker rooms. These are good indicators of the overall cleanliness of the gym you are considering. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, they say.
These are important things to consider before joining a gym. They come in handy for making an informed decision on whether or not a gym or fitness center is the right one for you.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com - By: Darren McLaughlin

Fun Fitness Tips

Getting and staying in shape doesn’t have to be dull and boring! Try some of these fun fitness activities to make your workout time more enjoyable.
MUSICAL EXERCIES – Put on your favorite music and do some yoga! No need for slow, elevator music. Move to your favorite beat. Or pop on the headphones or earphones and grab your MP3 or cassette player or handheld PC and bike to a nearby park. Too cold or rainy? Then head to a mall or other enclosed area where you can walk. Caution: make sure you are alert while listening to music with headphones or earphones.
FUN IN THE SUN – Check out the latest tanning solutions and try fun, scented versions with funky, multi-colored sunglasses. Grab your cassette player or MP3 player and favorite tunes. And pack some flavored water, new flavored health bar that you’ve been dying to try and some frozen berries in your carryall for breaks and have a “sense”-ational time.
FITNESS CLASSES – Try out a new fitness class for fun. Enjoy a full water aerobics workout with less stress on your joints. Grab some colorful water gear and swim to the beat. Or try a dance or Jazzercise routine. No need to commit long-term, just ask about popping in for a class or two to check it out and enjoy. Meet new friends and get fit all at once.
VCR / DVD – Head to the library or local rental store and grab a fun fitness video or DVD. Crank up the sound when your favorite tunes come on and join the taped workout participants in the privacy of your own home.
GYM / FITNESS CENTER – Dig out those coupons you’ve been receiving in envelop mailers and those money saving coupon magazines. Again, no need to commit long-term. Just head on over and use the free or low-cost trial / invitational period and enjoy!
JOURNALING – Spice up your logging routine with an inexpensive new journal from a discount or dollar store nearby. Crate snazzy charts with colored markers. Add bright colored stickers for each workout. Paste or tape clipped pictures of your goals throughout the covers and inside sections. For example, paste pictures of that vacation spot you want to travel to with your new, healthy YOU wearing a new swimsuit.
So add some fun in with your fitness activities. Wake up your senses with new taste, smells, sights, touches and sounds. Forget that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” stuff. Workouts plus play make Jack a fun, fit boy!
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com-By: Nicky Pilkington